RoyalMTLs 2
RoyalMTLs 12 Ichika Amasawa’s Soliloquy HAVE YOU EVER heard of the term test-tube babies? I don’t think it’s called that anymore; now they call it in-vitro fertilization. I am someone who was a product of this so-called “in-vitro fertilization.” Other than that, I know nothing about my backstory. I’ve never even seen the faces of my parents. What are they doing now, and why did they send me to the White Room? I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I wouldn’t accept them even if I did. Simply because I have no interest whatsoever. That is how I was raised in the White Room. All they told me was, “Your parents are both very talented people.” They told me I was a special child who was qualified to be a genius. However, my very existence contradicts the meaning of the White Room. The ultimate goal for the White Room is to make all humans equal. The White Room exists to prove that human limitations are not determined by genetic factors but by the environment that humans are raised. Therefore, the institution does not expect me, who has excellent genetic factors, to master talents that others cannot. To the White Room, my existence is nothing more than an “experiment.” I don’t necessarily disprove the White Room’s experiments, but do they honestly believe such a thing is possible? If you ask me, it’s impossible without a doubt. Intellect, character, and spirit will always differ among people. Don’t you think my existence is proof of that? My inner self has always shown a different mentality from my surroundings ever since I was a child. While I was obediently doing tasks in the White Room, I was constantly thinking about the meaning of this institution. Growing up for the sake of the White Room? Gambling my own life as nothing more than a contribution? Is my goal to be the most successful experiment, and should I spend every day desperately trying to prove it? Don’t you think this way of living is quite unfortunate? Wouldn’t you want to live more freely? At least, that’s what I think. Trapped in that dark world for the rest of my life, I really can’t stand the thought. That is my stance on the matter, but this is nothing more than an irrelevant topic right now. The main topic is the existence of Kiyotaka Ayanokōji. This was a person who achieved unsurpassed results in the White Room. Of course, when I first heard it, I took it with a grain of salt. What he had done so effortlessly is what I had been desperately trying to accomplish for so long. Can you believe that? But oh well, after looking at his data and seeing him and talking to him, I realized it wasn’t just empty talk. He really is remarkable.
RoyalMTLs 13 But I’m sorry, senpai. I wanted to be your companion, but that won’t work now. In terms of how long I’ve known you, it’s been a very, very long time. However, you’ve only just met me. This brings me to wonder if I am more affectionate than I thought I was. As a worshiper of my senpai, please allow me to look at you from afar when “that time” comes.
RoyalMTLs 14 Chapter 1: Secret Maneuvers THE RAIN WAS getting stronger, and the fog was getting thicker. Now that my vision and hearing are reduced, I feel the nasty scent of someone approaching from behind. The sound of mud and water splashing on the ground rang out as if this person was deliberately trying to get our attention. Nanase also seems to have quickly noticed this unusual sound and scent. I look back to see the red hair of a student swaying around. “It seems like it’s going to rain heavily senpai.” The person who had appeared out of the mist and rain was Ichika Amasawa of the 1st year A class. Although I already knew that she was following a similar path as Nanase and me, I really didn’t think that it was a coincidence that we met here. It didn’t look like there were any other students in proximity to us, nor did it look like she was carrying a backpack or a tablet. How did she manage to find us? I assume she probably hid her belongings somewhere around here to reduce strain and then quietly followed us. Or perhaps she never had any luggage to begin with and was following us from the start. Maybe, someone searched for us through the GPS and transmitted our location through a wireless transceiver. Whatever the case may be, we can rule out the possibility that it was due to chance. Whatever her method to find us was, she certainly wasn’t a welcoming presence. Amasawa wasn’t empty-handed. In her left hand is a thick wooden stick. The type that’s perfect to beat people up with. I would assume Amasawa would take us by surprise; considering the weather conditions at the moment, it would have been relatively easy to hide until the time is right. In such dire situations, an undetected attack could be devastating. “Senpai, please get behind me.” While I was thinking about the reason for Amasawa’s appearance, Nanase, who was clearly physically exhausted, stood next to me. Nanase stared at Amasawa without hiding her wariness. “Hmm? Wasn’t I supposed to be welcomed by Nanase? Look at this, my own comrade abandoning me. Or did you see me with this thing and found me intimidating?” Amasawa gently tossed the thick wooden stick towards her feet, declaring herself non-threatening. But Nanase didn’t even show a slight change in her defensive posture. “You are not trustworthy at all.”
RoyalMTLs 15 “Fufufu, you’re really too much, why would you say that? I’m so cute!” I don’t think that trust can be linked to cuteness at all, but that doesn’t matter. “What’s going on Nanase?” I ask her as she continuously stares down Amasawa. Amasawa had a side to her that no one could understand. To say that she was someone who had exceptional acting skills, as well as the ability to execute complex plans, would not be an exaggeration. It’s only natural to be wary; I’ve always done that. But there is no way to explain this unusual vigilance of Nanase. However, it should be natural to have such a reaction on occasions like these. You could assume Nanase was exaggerating because she is now on my side... “I’m not a bad person, am I, Ayanokōji-senpai? So how about we just talk things over.” “Please don’t listen to her senpai, she’s dangerous.” To Amasawa, who isn’t showing any hostility, Nanase is displaying staggering amounts of determination. Although Nanase’s statements seemed like unwarranted criticism, Amasawa didn’t seem to show any dissatisfaction. “Senpai, I must confess something to you. The slope where Shinoharasenpai’s group was attacked, you and Ike-senpai went up the same slope together right? The slope that caused Komiya-senpai and Kinoshita-senpai to withdraw.” Having heard Shinohara’s voice call out, Ike had rushed up blindly. I followed him, seeing as it was quite dangerous to go up that slope alone. “During that incident, I sensed someone approach us and I chased after them.” Nanase added. “Is that why you weren’t with Sudō and the others when we returned after finding Shinohara?” I asked. Nanase nodded quietly. “And then what?” “Although I didn’t catch up with the person who ran away, I still managed to catch a glimpse of that unique hair.” Saying so, Nanase slowly pointed towards Amasawa. “At that time, the person who was watching us was you, wasn’t it Amasawasan?” “Fufu... oops! So, you saw me?” Rather than deny it, Amasawa simply confessed with a smile. There was no wavering in Amasawa’s attitude, nor was there surprise that she had been discovered. The person who was secretly watching us at the time was none other than Amasawa. “Did you hurt Komiya-senpai and the others?” asked Nanase abruptly. “Hmm? That’s too one sided, isn’t it? Maybe I just happened to be there.”
RoyalMTLs 16 “In that case, there was no need to run away, right?” “Wouldn’t you run away when someone who has a terrifying look on their face chases you? I didn’t want them to suspect me.” Amasawa replied. “I can’t believe it.” “So you’re trying to make me out to be the one who attacked the seniors, Nanase-sama?” “I am sure you are. It’s almost impossible for me to be wrong here....” “You’re soooo sure, but you also feel the need to add the word “almost.” You don’t know the truth, do you?” It was a deadlock between the two girls from the same group. They held each other in check with words. “Then can you swear that you’re not the one who attacked senpai and the others?” “I can promise, but whether that promise is the truth or not is none of your business, Nanase.” Amasawa simply said there was no point in doing such a thing. “And even if it really was me who did that, then what would you do?” Instead of trying to get out of Nanase’s pursuit, it seems she keeps diving deeper and deeper. Although Nanase seemed to be overwhelmed by Amasawa’s aura, she continued on in order to pursue the truth. “Alright in that case, tell me why are you doing this? No, before that, explain how you were able to hide yourself from the GPS positioning system.” To be perfectly honest, there was no need to confirm that last point with Amasawa. “It’s not difficult to eliminate the GPS itself, just destroy the watch no?” Amasawa happily showed us the watch on her right hand. “That’s right~ Whether it’s intentional or not, a malfunction is a malfunction and I can just get a new one from the school for free.” “But if you break your watch, shouldn’t the school find out?” Nanase questioned. “That’s true but until they find me, it is very difficult for them to determine the cause of the malfunction. Until then, I can do anything I want.” There are more than 400 GPS signals on this island. The disappearance of one or two signals would not be detected for a short time. Furthermore, the teacher’s priority was to ensure the safety of the students and not continually monitor the number of signals. “But the school will definitely trace it after a while, right? It’s only a matter of time before they find out.” After Shinohara explained how she was attacked, the school would
RoyalMTLs 17 definitely get involved in the investigation. In the process, only Amasawa’s GPS signal had disappeared, making it highly likely that she was the culprit. But therein lies the problem. “If only Amasawa’s GPS signal disappeared when Komiya and the others were attacked, suspicion from the school is inevitable. However, it would be nothing more than just a suspicion as there is no other evidence to prove it. As long as there is no more direct evidence, it cannot be concluded that the culprit is her.” I inform Nanase. “That—” From Nanase’s point of view, she had seen Amasawa directly, so it would be correct to assume the culprit was Amasawa. However, to prove a crime is much harder than just making an assumption. The school absolutely had to avoid a lawsuit that would cause Amasawa to drop out of the school due to a wrongful conviction. Initially, the watch was given to all the students in the uninhabited island exam to ensure everyone complies with the rules and so the school can maintain order. If it was easy to use, the purpose of the watch would fail. To avoid trouble, the watch had to be strictly regulated. Watch changes caused by breakdowns could only be done once, with each breakdown consuming points. Too many malfunctions can lead to forced removal, etc. But the stricter the regulations, the more likely a loophole will be found and exploited. For example, playing tricks on the enemy’s watch to damage it accidentally. Moreover, if there is really an accident or any other situation on the schools’ part that leads to expulsion, it would be unacceptable. This is something that must be avoided. “It’s customary that you try and poke holes in the rules, and if the school can’t find any evidence, anything is fine.” Even if this argument was wild, what Amasawa said was correct. “That may be true, however, if there is no evidence I will act as a witness and prove that Amasawa was there.” Counters Nanase. “The end result would be the same. A simple GPS malfunction and being present at the scene of the incident alone will only end in suspicion.” If a violent person like Sudō or Ryūen had been involved with this kind of disturbance, the school would be more suspicious. But the girl standing in front of me was nothing more than a harmless-looking first-year high school girl. With such insignificant evidence, the school authorities would not have deep suspicions. Not to mention, there was no testimony from Komiya and Kinoshita that they had been attacked. Shinohara could only give an ambiguous answer like, “I was attacked by someone but I don’t know who it was.”
RoyalMTLs 18 This is the same nature of the testimony, “Nanase saw Amasawa.” If there was no conclusive evidence, it would be impossible for the school to punish Amasawa. “And there it is Nanase.” That said, I still don’t know what the reason is for Amasawa’s presence here. The atmosphere is merely filled with Nanase’s pursuing questions and Amasawa’s teasing words, and I don’t see any progress at all. The idea of going to do something productive... seems to have become a luxury. As for whether or not Amasawa was the one who hurt Komiya and the others, we’ll put it aside for now. To advance the stalemate, I’ll ask the next question. “What are you doing here, no, how did you find us?” At this point, we were drenched in the rain. Considering we had to continue the exam tomorrow, standing in the rain any longer should be avoided. I wish I could set up my tent right now and get out of the rain. “Don’t be so anxious, Ayanokōji-senpai. Aren’t you happy we met in the middle of an uninhabited island in such circumstances?” “I’m sorry, but it’s raining a lot more than I would like, so let’s get this over with.” “Then, how about we set up the tent together and the two of us will spend a wonderful night here?” The fact that men and women can’t sleep inside the same tent is something the school emphasized, and there’s no way she didn’t know that. What a meaningless conversation. Was she stalling for time? “There’s no need to worry senpai. It’s no problem, even the school can’t monitor everything.” Just as Amasawa was about to step closer to me, Nanase immediately moved to grab her arm. “What are you doing with that hand?” “You’re not planning to throw yourself at Ayanokōji-senpai, are you?” “When did Nanase become Ayanokōji-senpai’s knight? Didn’t you once plan with Hōsen-kun to make Ayanokōji-senpai drop out of school?” Amasawa responded with a hint of annoyance. “That... has nothing to do with you. What did you come here for?” “I came here because I was lost and I needed help.” She’s already telling unadulterated lies. Could it be that she came to see the duel between Nanase and I and the result afterwards? From Nanase’s attitude, I think Amasawa could tell that Nanase had completely fallen to me. No, if that was the case, there was no point in her nonsensical small talk. “I have something to say to Ayanokōji-senpai. Can you please move aside? “Can’t you just tell me right here?” I question the meaning of Amasawa’s
RoyalMTLs 19 statement. “No, because it is about the White Room.” Perhaps thinking that there was no point in her hiding identity any longer, Amasawa just revealed herself. Nanase looked at me with a surprised look. Throughout the first semester, I had been aware of the existence of another White Room student, a White Room “enforcer”, but I had never been able to confirm this enforcer’s true identity. I certainly didn’t think it would be in the form of “confession” that I would find out about her existence. “Do you understand now? Irrelevant student~” Amasawa giggled while looking at Nanase. If Amasawa is really a White Room student, then Nanase is indeed considered an irrelevant person in this situation. “Let go of her hand, Nanase.” I tell her. Despite her dissatisfaction, Nanase obeyed my instructions and released her hand. “That’s a good girl, Nanase. I don’t hate this kind of loyal dog feeling~” Saying that Amasawa slowly approached me. I think we can finally make some progress in this conversation. “I’m sorry, but with just Nanase as a precedent, I’m not going to confirm your existence as one from the White Room just by hearing the word “White Room.” “Okay I can prove it to you if you want. But... it would be a bad for Nanase to hear it. You understand, right?” It’s the usual little devilish smile that looks at me. I wave my hand slightly at Nanase and give her the command for her to stay away. Although Nanase felt very resistant to the fact that Amasawa was getting closer to me, she obeyed my instructions. With the rain falling heavier and heavier, whispering a few meters away should not be heard by her. Standing on the muddy ground, Amasawa came close enough that I could practically touch her without fully extending my hand. “So where should I start?” Amasawa looked thoughtful as if she was saying to me, “You can understand right?” But her sudden appearance this time around was truly incomprehensible. The White Room enforcer had been lurking until today, working on getting me expelled. However, the Amasawa in front of me exposed herself without taking any action. Most importantly, it was strange that she was hesitant to say anything until now. I can only assume that she’s trying to stall for time.
RoyalMTLs 20 Just when I was debating whether I should open the conversation by opening my mouth, Amasawa spoke up. “The curriculum you received when you were ten years old was on the base 5 construction theorem. When you were eleven years old, you learned about the theory of relativity. I did the exam twice, so I remember it well.” As if to show that we learned in the same classroom, she told me details about my past. “Whether it was the interior or the hallway, or the room where we slept, everything was white in that world.” It seemed that Amasawa knew the White Room much better than Nanase. It was also unlikely that she would find out about this from Tsukishiro. You can’t reveal anything about the White Room to people who have nothing to do with it. Even he knows that. In other words, it’s basically concluded that Amasawa was the enforcer. From the content of the conversation to her words and actions, all of them are in line with the aesthetics of a White Room student. “What is the advantage of revealing your identity by making a deliberate appearance?” “I suppose there is none, but I don’t care about that. I just wanted to show you that I’m not your enemy senpai.” “That is contradictory. The students in the White Room are enforcers sent to this school to have me expelled. It is inconsistent to say that someone like you is not my enemy. It doesn’t make sense.” Although Amasawa was drenched in water, she continued to speak. “The generations after the fourth generation harboured intense jealousy for you senpai. They thought if they used these White Room students with strong jealousy, it would be possible to make Ayanokōji-senpai drop out of school and there was nothing wrong with that. The superiors simply chose the wrong person. They did not see that I was just a young girl who had a longing to be with Ayanokōji-senpai.” “Is that why you took the initiative to reveal your identity?” Amasawa nodded. “Then wouldn’t it have been better if you came and told me directly after entering school? You even managed to sneak into my room, so there were many opportunities to reveal your identity.” “That may be true; however, no matter how much I longed for you before I saw you, it was just my self-imagination. It takes a certain amount of time to meet directly, talk, and come to a conclusion that, “Ahhh, it’s great to long for this person.” In other words, if I’m not the ideal person that Amasawa thought I was, she would reject me. As the conversation progressed, this reason was tentatively
RoyalMTLs 21 established. “Do you understand now?” “Yes. The only people who can talk about the White Room in detail are the ones who lived there.” “Yup that’s it. It feels amazing, to be an ordinary high school student who lives like this. I feel privileged to have experienced this special feeling until now. But I am more interested in allowing the other students in the White Room to have this same experience.” “If you feel the same way as I do, you should also be aware of how interesting this place is....” “I understand exactly what you’re trying to say senpai. I’ve wondered many times if I could be like a normal student and living a fun student life. I’m not good at making friends, and I don’t have that many people to talk to.” Amasawa replied with a twinge of sadness in her voice. How do I put it? It’s really very similar to what I think. Although I had talked to Horikita, Ike, and others, there was still kind of a distance between us. I remembered a certain period when I couldn’t even consider them “friends” honestly. “But I don’t lack the communication skills like my predecessors.” Amasawa said as if reading my thoughts. “Basically, I learned the same curriculums as my senpais. But on the other hand, I also learned exclusive things for the fifth generation.” Seeing as I didn’t intend to intervene, Amasawa continued on. “That is, communication and collaboration skills. Until the fourth generation, due to the culture of individualism, the children who failed came out of there broken. And it was impossible for them to communicate with children with poor grades. They are excellent and, of course, they have only been allowed to interact with people with the same excellence.” If this is true, it explains why it is not difficult to understand why she can make emotional expressions. In my case, I can play specific acting roles for a short period. However, it was difficult to break the habit of living without emotion most of the time. “Still don’t trust me?” “I believe your origins, but I cannot accept the reason why you would tell me your identity.” “As expected of a White Room student, you really are calm and collected. Don’t you think I would threaten you, senpai?” Seeing that I couldn’t answer that question, Amasawa laughed it off. “Fufu, so, I’ve said everything I wanted to say. I’ll be taking my leave now, okay?” Amasawa turned around.
RoyalMTLs 22 It seemed her visit was to let me know that she was a White Room student. “What are you thinking, Amasawa?” “Didn’t I already say? I’m longing for you Ayanokōji-senpai.” She turned around and caressed my cheek with the tips of her wet fingers. “So, senpai is not allowed to be defeated without my permission.” She whispered into my ear. Saying that she took her finger away from my face and started to walk away. Not allowed to be defeated? By who? Tsukishiro? Or perhaps the group of first-years who were given a 20 million bounty? Or is it... “Ayanokōji-senpai, are you okay? Did something happen to you?” Nanase walked back up to me with a concerned look in her eyes. I told the worried Nanase that she had nothing to be concerned about and looked at my backpack. “We’d better hurry and set the tent, we need to get out of this rain.” I told her. Although I would like to organize all the information I just learned, there was a priority. “Well then, let’s work together and set up these tents quickly.” Nanase said as she started to get to work. “Yes, let’s hurry.” I answered that, but there was just one thing I had to confirm first. I had to confirm the footprints of the departing Amasawa. “Senpai...?” Nanase called out to me. “If I don’t hurry the rain will wash away the tracks.” I say this as I can already see the footprints start to lose their shape. “Footprints? What about Amasawa’s footprint?” Nanase asked. “When Komiya and the others were injured, there were tracks left at the scene. Now I know they were the same size as Amasawa’s.” In other words, just like Nanase witnessed, Amasawa had been there. “She really wasn’t there by coincidence, she really was the one who pushed them down right?” “I can’t say for sure. At that time, Amasawa was simply watching you and Sudō. There still isn’t any proof she was the attacker,” Nanase didn’t seem to immediately understand what I was trying to say. “Perhaps there is no definitive evidence but I think it should be possible to directly infer that she is the culprit, right?” “From the information we have now, Amasawa would indeed seem to be the culprit.” “I think so, too. Although I’ve said it several times, I did see Amasawa-san.” Of course, I didn’t doubt that.
RoyalMTLs 23 “But you didn’t see her pushing them down.” “That... well, but just now she confessed.” “Whether that can be called a confession is still difficult to say at this stage. In the end, Amasawa simply said, “If I am the attacker.” She never said directly confessed by implying that she was speaking hypothetically.” “Perhaps she was afraid of being recorded?” “With this rain, and catching us off guard like this, do you think it’s necessary for her to be very alert?” A quick glance shows that this is not a recordable environment at all. “Even so, it is not absolute. Especially since she is also the object of Ayanokōji-senpai’s vigilance, it would be appropriate for her to consider the highest level of caution.” “The victims were two students. If they are deliberately injured and as a result of that they’re placed in danger, the attacker must quickly escape after committing the crime. Why should the attacker go back to the scene and let someone see themselves?” Nanase retrieved her backpack while thinking. “Then... maybe she was worried about the injuries of Komiya-senpai and the others. I think this is the same psychology of how arsonists return to the scene of the crime.” Indeed, it is said that arsonists will return to the scene. There are various explanations for this mentality, but it can’t simply be applied to this incident. If you look at Amasawa as the culprit in this way, you will only see the surface of the incident. “It is impossible for the White Room student sent by Tsukishiro to make this kind of mistake without being aware that, whatever happens, you do not run the risk of returning to the scene and the corresponding measures that surround it. In fact, Amasawa knew that Nanase would discover her at that time.” To not miss anything, I continued to trace the tracks that were about to be destroyed. “Why would she give away her whereabouts even though she was being chased?” “I think she thought that since she couldn’t hide the fact you saw her, she came to contact us on her own initiative. If we report it to the school, even if we can’t prove it, it will be a problem for the school. And if we entrust the matter to Acting Director Tsukishiro, it will become dangerous. “Regarding this logic, it also contradicts her return to the scene of the crime.” “Can’t it just be pinned on her careless nature?”
RoyalMTLs 24 “Impossible.” Perhaps Amasawa had deliberately let Nanase discover her for some reason. With that, I managed to get a new hint from the tracks that I followed. “Sure enough, there are some points of Amasawa’s actions that can’t be ignored.” “Something that can’t be ignored?” I followed her tracks that were about to be washed away by the rain. “It seems to be perfectly close towards my back, so if I trace it from there....” I mutter in my breath. “Hey, senpai.” At this moment, Nanase also noticed a peculiar change for the first time. “There are someone else’s footprints.” “Yes.” These footprints were slightly larger than Amasawa’s. But because it had been completely deformed at this point due to the rain, the exact size can’t be determined. “This person got very close to us at one point, and that’s where the footsteps are ruined. This is where that person’s footsteps converged with those of Amasawa. Then, from here, those enigmatic footsteps started to turn back. “In other words, before Amasawa contacted us, there was another....” Nanase realized that another mysterious individual had been following us. Whether it was a student or someone from the school, it would be impossible to determine it from the information we have at the moment. “Can you go get the thick wooden stick that Amasawa left behind?” I ask Nanase. “Yes, okay.” Nanase brings me the stick that Amasawa had dropped. Looking at the stick, I finally got an answer to one of my speculations. “Did you find anything?” “Have I found something? I can tell this stick would inflict reasonable amounts of damage to whoever got hit by it.” Nanase takes the stick from my hands and studies it for a while until she notices something. “I don’t think she picked up this stick from around here.” “Look. In order to make this stick a better weapon, excess parts were cut off. The current state of this wooden stick is too unnatural.” “Did she intend to use this stick as a weapon to attack Ayanokōji-senpai?” “If Amasawa wanted to attack me, she would launch a surprise attack from the shadows. However, even though she had this weapon, she didn’t show any
RoyalMTLs 25 hints of hostility towards me. Not only that, she deliberately tried to get me to notice her.” More can be inferred from these statements. “In other words, she did not plan to attack me from the very beginning. It wasn’t Amasawa who held the stick at first, but the person who was about to leave, right?” Nanase asked me. The tracks approached us at a slow pace but then grew faster and faster as it turned backwards. Was the person avoiding detection, or were they running away? “But what’s the reason for this?” Nanase continued to ask. “According to Amasawa, I am the existence she longs for. That’s why it seems reasonable to think that she stopped this planned assault on me.” “Isn’t it too dangerous to consider her our ally just by that...?” Nanase did not seem to be sold on the fact Amasawa may be on our side. “Of course. But I can’t imagine who could be the owner of these tracks and they would want to attack me.” “Maybe... is it someone related to the school or something?” “That is possible, since I am a hanging bounty.” I fully considered if this footprint belonged to one of the students who was looking for that reward. It was entirely conceivable that someone would take that risk to force me out of school. “Oh yeah!” Nanase seemed to have a thought of something and raised her voice. “Senpai, let’s do a GPS search now! It hasn’t been long since Amasawa-sans departure. Even if there was someone running at full speed, in this bad weather, they couldn’t get too, far right?” In fact, if we were to use the GPS search now, as long as there was an answer in the vicinity, all the suspects could be discovered at once. The answer could be close to us; we just need to find out who it is by examining all the possibilities in order. “Ah, but if that person destroys the watch like Amasawa-san, we won’t be able to find out right?” Nanase seemed to doubt her previous thought. “No, that is not the case. If you damage the watch, the GPS signal will disappear. What if there is another GPS signal other than Amasawa that disappears if I searched? “...Then we’ll be able to determine that person is the culprit.” “Then, the person who wanted to attack me would definitely not break their watch.” “In that case, wouldn’t it be a good idea to pay an extra point for the scan?” It had only been fifteen minutes since Amasawa had spoken to me. Not only do they need to escape the scene, but they also need to do whatever they can to get
RoyalMTLs 26 out of the area. With a little bit of luck, we might be able to find a slight trace of that person. Because of this, if I follow Nanase’s suggestion to do a GPS search now... “Do not use a GPS search.” “Ah, why?” Nanase asks, confused. “No matter who the other party is, it is not surprising to develop a plan that allows us to use GPS scanning to locate them. There is a chance that a complete outsider may show up on the scan.” They are likely to use an insignificant person to lure us into pursuing in the wrong direction. Like the incident where Amasawa’s figure was witnessed by Nanase and the appearance of Amasawa here, we should be wary of being unilaterally fed information by the enemy. “It feels like such a waste.” “If it were me, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to be seen. If this person forgot to consider a GPS search, then I don’t need to be afraid of this person at all.” Nanase didn’t seem to understand, but she obeyed my decision. In any case, even after organizing my thoughts, I could not continue in this situation. I stopped the conversation and decided to quickly pitch the tent with Nanase. It had now changed from light rain to heavy rain. Nanase and I put our tents together face to face after we finally set them up, and we fled inside our tents to get away from the rain. We took off our wet sportswear uniforms, jackets, underwear and I wiped my body with a towel. I changed into reserve clothes and opened the zipper of the tent to look outside. Although it was just early in the morning, the surrounding area was as dark as night. It would be challenging to move at least for one day. As the raindrops barged unceremoniously into the tent, I had to zipper up, lie down, and start thinking quietly. I learned Nanase’s past and established the fact that Amasawa was a White Room student. However, not all the secrets hidden in the darkness have come to light.
RoyalMTLs 27 1 In the midst of the continuing downpour, the school sent out an email. It was something that I had been expecting for a long time, and it was that today’s exam was to be suspended. The report also said it would be difficult to turn things around if the basics of getting around and events disappeared. Still, ways to compensate were being considered to avoid putting students in a difficult situation. However, no matter what the school did to make up for it, the fact is that the exam is suspended today, and that would not change. While the compensation was effective from a total score point of view, the strategic plans developed by the teams would have to be reversed and reworked. For me, the suspension could not have come at a worse time. I had intended to peak into the second half of the race as a way to catch up with and earn points from groups that ran out of energy in the first half and couldn’t keep up the pace anymore. But since almost the entire 7th day was empty, everyone would be able to use the break to recover their strength. Of course, since the environment was not optimal, fatigue could not be fully recovered. Still, the ability to rest made a big difference. “... pai?” “Hmm?” Outside the tent, the rain was pouring down, and the sound was very loud, but there was a hint of a human voice wrapped up in it. “Sen...pai?” The voice that had previously called out to me sounded once again. The one who called out was probably Nanase in the tent across from mine. I opened the zipper again and peeked out through the mesh. Although the view was poor, it was not difficult to see the tent in front of me. “I have something I would like to talk to you about. Can I come over to senpai’s side for a while?” Nanase proposed so through the tent. Nanase should know very well that the idea of a man and a woman crammed into a narrow tent is not appropriate; perhaps she’s forgotten? Then again, as far as the rules are concerned, it is only forbidden to share a bed and there is no problem if you are only spending a short time together. As long as the students don’t lose their rationality, there was no moral problem. That said, it was raining very hard. Even if the entrances are less than two meters apart, one will inevitably get wet. “I’m fine with it. Why don’t I come over to your side?” When I said that, Nanase shook her head and opened the entrance to her tent.
RoyalMTLs 28 She spread her towel to protect her head and got ready. I hurriedly opened the entrance to welcome her. After waiting for the right moment, Nanase jumped out of the tent and quickly ducked into mine. In less than one second, she was drenched, but the damage was kept to a minimum. “I’m really sorry for disturbing you while you’re resting, senpai.” “No, it’s okay.” Nanase was the one that was suffering at the moment. In addition to the forced march to reach this area, even if the cause was a misunderstanding, she had just fought a fierce battle with me. Although I thought she had something to discuss with me, she didn’t open her mouth right away. It seemed like she couldn’t say anything, which was understandable. For a while, we just sat in silence. “I’m a bit shameless, aren’t I?” Saying that Nanase lowered her head in apology. “Until recently, I was hostile towards senpai and even said some excessive things... but now I greet you with such intimacy. It just annoys you, right?” Only now has Nanase started to face this guilt. “I don’t care, and you don’t need to apologize anymore. At the very least, you should understand that there is no need for us to be hostile towards each other any longer, right? Although there were some parts that were a bit difficult to address at the moment, we are in the middle of a special exam. Mental confusion can be detrimental to actions and thoughts during the test. “I understand.” Nanase once again bowed her head to me in acknowledgment. “So what? You must have something you want to tell me after going through the heavy rain?” “Ah, yes!” Nanase remembered what she came for and spoke up. “The sudden appearance of Amasawa-san was haunting my mind... When I think about how hard you are working, I can’t help but want to push her away.” It looked like rather than having any purpose in coming here, she was simply worried about me. Although it seemed a bit problematic for her to care more than I, the person in question, I appreciated her consideration. “I decided that Amasawa-san was the one who pushed Komiya-senpai and the others down. I always thought the reason why Amasawa-san didn’t show us her true self was a way to hide the truth. However, Ayanokōji-senpai, you said that it wasn’t necessarily Amasawa-san that was the one who pushed them, which I found a bit confusing....” “Because as of now, the truth is still in the dark,” I replied.
RoyalMTLs 29 Amasawa, the “suspect,” is infinitely close to black gray, but she isn’t yet utterly dyed black. “What matters to me is the objective of the culprit. Whoever it is, what was their reason for doing something so dangerous?” “Perhaps it wouldn’t be so difficult if we don’t assume the answer first,” I suggest. “Let’s start over without the assumption Amasawa is not the culprit and argue from there.” By repeatedly exchanging opinions, it was sometimes possible to see things that would otherwise be invisible. A certain person pushed Komiya and the others down. Judging from the watch’s lack of a GPS response, it was clearly not an unexpected event but a planned act. “Huh... but isn’t that a little strange?” Not long after the conversation started, Nanase ran into something incomprehensible and frowned. “Are you saying that it would be strange if Amasawa-san really had nothing to do with this? Are you implying she simply happened to come across the attack on Komiya-senpai and the others when her watch broke by chance and happened to witness the whole thing from the sidelines by chance? She then happened to find us again by chance?” “It is difficult to call it a coincidence if there are several stacked matches. That is, if Amasawa had reasoned about Komiya’s case as if it had nothing to do with her, we could solve this case quickly.” The idea arose that it was someone close to Amasawa who put pressure on Komiya and the others. “Even if the real culprit was not Amasawa-san, it might be someone she knew, right? So, is it possible that Amasawa-san is simply an accomplice again?” “I think that’s it. The footprints we observed may also belong to the real culprit.” If you consider that she was acting to help the real culprit, it would explain Amasawa’s actions. “Since the intention was to exercise violence, I guess their means are similar.” Nanase repeatedly nodded as she felt the clues to her reasoning were coming together. “But...” At this point... How can I put it? I was starting to worry about something completely unrelated. “But what?” Nanase looked at me, puzzled, but I didn’t dare bring it up. Mostly since I was too embarrassed to ask her.
RoyalMTLs 30 It was the 7th day of living on the uninhabited island. During this period, Nanase has been moving with me constantly, and there wasn’t really any free time to properly clean the body. But she did have the opportunity to rinse off the sand when she changed into her swimsuit at the beach for capture the flag, and she must have taken a shower after the time she swam in the ocean. That said, the sweat that erupted after a day was disconcerting. Because of the small space in the tent, Nanase’s body odour, although slight, is gradually spreading; however, it is not an unpleasant smell. The smell of sweat can be covered up by frequent wiping, but this is strangely a nice smell. I wanted to ask about the principle of it, but it most certainly would not be “good senpai behaviour.” It would most likely be classified as “perverted senpai behaviour.” “Nothing, it’s just a misunderstanding on my part. Don’t worry about it.” “Is that so?” Nanase didn’t elaborate on my statement; she just nodded her head. Even though I have a girlfriend, I’m just a beginner. When it comes to topics like these, there are many things I don’t know about. Antiperspirants and deodorants and things like that are pretty cheap, so she probably bought them. That’s the only answer I can think of right now. Although I started it myself, the topic became inexplicably awkward. Nanase didn’t seem to care, but it’s best I don’t ask her again. “Although I can’t confirm exactly what Amasawa did to Komiya and the others, I can roughly guess who is with her on her daily schedule.” I inform Nanase. Nanase didn’t seem to understand what I meant by that and looked puzzled. I took out the tablet and tapped on the screen to show Nanase. “Doesn’t... that have your personal information Ayanokōji-senpai? Is it really okay for you to show me this?” Nanase asked out of consideration. By personal information, she meant the scores I had. Points and rankings outside of the top 10 and bottom ten would not be publicly disclosed, so this was crucial private information. “I thought that you and I had built a relationship in which we can trust each other, but it seems like it’s my mistake....” I said bluntly, to which she quickly looked up. “What?! I’m super grateful that you trust me!” She replied somewhat shy, somewhat happy, and somewhat apologetic. It was an expression of shame that she hadn’t been able to show up until now. “And since we’ve been together this entire time, you can probably guess how many points I’ve accumulated just by taking into consideration my
RoyalMTLs 31 movements, right?” Although there was also a part of the exam I had challenged alone, Nanase would probably assume I got first place. So, I didn’t mind all that much showing her my score. “On the subject of past movements, it should be possible to know who Amasawa was with based on her daily schedule.” I concluded. Nanase, however, had noticed something suspicious. “Eh? Shouldn’t senpai’s score... Shouldn’t it have more points?” “What do you mean?” Nanase asked this while running numbers through her head. “Reaching the bonus, the finishing points, and the event points... Minus the penalties, and I think you got 1st place in the event you participated while I was resting....” Nanase’s memory was pretty good. This would be useful in the future. “You may have realized that my score should have been 88 points.” “But now it’s 78 points, 10 points less. And I don’t think it’s due to a penalty...” “So how and why have those 10 points disappeared? Allow me to explain. Where we are going in this exam is posted four times a day along with the designated area. That is, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I used the GPS service from 7 in the morning on the 6th day, when it was de-prohibited, and I used it a total of 10 times, once per hour, not counting the break from noon to 12.” “What could be seen doing this?” Was the reaction on her face. Nanase still didn’t seem to understand. “The GPS search is a very convenient tool to know the location of all the students throughout the island. However, if you only use it once, you can only know their current position, and its usefulness is poor. But if you divide the day into 10 parts and search repeatedly, you can see many things that you could not before.” By connecting the dots on a line, the trajectory of the person in one day can be traced. So, if someone used the search ten times, they might discover the fact that Nanase and I often moved together. “So that was the purpose for using your points. I see. Now we can know everyone’s destination every hour. Through that, we could find out who has the same itinerary with whom.” Nanase nodded as if to demonstrate her understanding. “But on the sixth day, senpai didn’t seem to be using the tablet at all. Wouldn’t you forget everything? It would be hard to remember everything just like that, right?” “Impossible. It takes a long time to confirm the name and location of each
RoyalMTLs 32 person.” I opened the photos folder to show her my images saved there. “After using the GPS search, I save screenshots. This way, I can use my free time to observe them and know what the others have done that day.” I told Nanase as she peeked over my shoulder to look. You cannot send messages or photos to others during the exam. However, saving screenshots is a standard feature of the tablet, and it is certainly available for use. By repeatedly using the map, zooming in and out, everyone’s locations can be recorded in detail. “Compare them at different times, and the actions of everyone else throughout the day are available as information that can be viewed at any time.” Instances such as before going to bed, in the morning when the test begins and during breaks. These moments are idle and are perfect for confirming locations. As the map has a detailed distribution of the events for that period, starting from the sixth day, I was able to record information about the groups, what events each student took, etc. “Wow senpai, you really did something like that? I didn’t even realize it.” “Well, I wouldn’t let you notice it. I couldn’t have risked a potential enemy figuring out what I was doing since by the sixth day, I still didn’t know what kind of person you were.” I give Nanase my honest thoughts. It would have been foolish to let Nanase, an enemy, know that I was using the GPS search. From confirming locations to checking event details, the tablet had a wide variety of uses. It didn’t seem unnatural that I was continuously using it. It was quite a simple process but very effective. Just follow the instructions for the specified area and corresponding event, and do a GPS search every hour, taking a screenshot. “With all due respect senpai, may I ask if this is worth paying 10 points for? Since it takes quite a long time just to analyze a person’s behaviour pattern. Maybe if you could share these images with others they might become worth something.” The value of these images would be apparent if they could be easily emailed to friends. More people could use GPS searches at shorter intervals, and we could confirm this outside of exam hours. It would not be surprising if all the classes would do something like this. “Even with individual users, its value depends on how it is used. I think we can say for now that whether this is worth more or less than 10 points will be decided in the future.” “Then, in that case...” “Actually, there’s also one more piece of information you can find while looking at repeated GPS searches.”
RoyalMTLs 33 If you look at the GPS by differentiating the grades, you can discover something new. Especially with the 3rd years, you can notice strange movements in their group actions. “For example, a part of the 3rd year groups behaved strangely throughout the day. And this strange group has to be related to Nagumo’s group as well as Kiriyama’s group. Through that research, I found something interesting.” Starting at 7:00 A.M. on the 6th day, I targeted only Nagumo’s group, observing their movements every hour. “First, at 7 in the morning, Nagumo’s group was in B8.” “Could that mean that their last area at the end of the 5th day was B8?” “That possibility is very likely, but they were in the southernmost part of the B8 area, perhaps the last area of the previous day was B9. In any case, when they came out, they only had the GPS signals of their own group members.” An hour later, at 8 A.M., various groups began to gather around Nagumo. At 9 A.M., this trend became even more apparent as the other groups visibly gathered around Nagumo. From then on, the large group began to move together. The observation at 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning, the hours before lunch, revealed something different. “Many groups got together and moved together... It’s almost like a school of fish.” Nanase observes. “The general effect of this isn’t that deep, but if you look at the small things you will see something completely different.” Hearing that, Nanase nodded twice. Then I showed her the maps until 3:00 in the afternoon. “Hold on... Is it possible to monopolize that event?” “No matter what the event is, as long as the 3rd years are properly organized, Nagumo can easily get first place.” It’s not complicated. It’s a simple strategy and very powerful. “But, in that case, no group other than Nagumo’s will score, right? Those groups cannot all be on the same schedule either. Cooperate with each other to allow a specific group to win... Although it is an idea that everyone has thought of before, it’s impossible to actually do it...” Other groups have other designated areas to go to. If they all dedicated themselves into getting Nagumo first place, they wouldn’t get high points in the special exam. “Yeah, if we were to implement this strategy, we would have to ignore the general premise of the uninhabited island exam. Speaking of which, why couldn’t we work together to accomplish this strategy?” Nanase asked. “That’s because it has to do with class points as well as expulsions, of course.” I showed Nanase the members of the groups that had gathered around
RoyalMTLs 34 Nagumo. “This... the groups that serve as plates are the senpais of the lower classes...” “There is not a single class A student in those groups.” “The difference in class points in the 3rd year classes is really exasperating. In other words, if class B or D loses, it will not have an impact on the general battle of the 3rd year.” Neither the first-year students nor the second-year students had entered the final stage of their class showdowns. It is the obsession of wanting to move up to A class that keeps the battles going. “The third years, however, can ignore the framework and make the 4 classes work together.” “The advantage of this strategy is that the group at the bottom can do whatever they want on the exam. Regardless of the score, even if they only get 1 point, their status as one of the lower classes will not change. They will only lose class points, or someone will be expelled.” “Wouldn’t their points be close to 0 if they fully support a designated group? It’s true that many of the third-grade groups are at the bottom, but they still have 20 points and 30 points.” If you ignored the designation of the assigned area and all the exam events, of course, you wouldn’t be able to receive points. According to Nanase, it wouldn’t be surprising if they would be penalized until they approached 0 points. I didn’t answer, prompting Nanase to think, and little by little she, started to realize it. In order to help her, I started to add something. “Once a strategy is recognized, its effectiveness decreases. How can they prevent this strategy from being detected?” “If there are 2-3 groups with 0 points, it is obvious that they did something, and this will be noticed by the other years. So, in order not to be noticed, they allow those groups to get some points.” It seems Nanase came to a conclusion on her own. It was due to this that we can see how extraordinarily remarkable Nagumo’s power is. Several groups with 0 points would have been too revealing, and the time to find out Nagumo’s plan would be significantly reduced if he let them earn some points. “There are many people supporting Nagumo, but each group has at least one person who steps on the designated area.” I told Nanase. “To avoid stacking penalty points, right?” If you do this, you will be able to accumulate the minimum number of points. “Among the teams supporting the Nagumo group, there is also competition.
RoyalMTLs 35 As long as the first place is awarded, the second and third place can be obtained by others at their own initiative, so that the bottom group will have a change of ranking from time to time. It’s like they’re really struggling to get by, although that isn’t the case.” This strategy would have been impossible to see through without scanning ten times with GPS. It turns out that even if you think it’s strange, it will just stagnate on suspicion. “Are they ready to help President Nagumo by dropping out of school? Don’t they think they should try to avoid dropping out even if they don’t get promoted to A class?” Nanase asked with a confused look on her face. “There may be fanatics in there, but basically it’s like you say. In this scheme there must be compensation for those students that follow Nagumo.” “Compensation from President Nagumo...?’ “The classes below the third year B class will not be able to graduate in A class if they just accumulate points in the special exam. But what if being helped by Nagumo gives them the possibility of moving up to Class A?” “If that’s the only way, maybe people would choose to help...” If the choice is between graduating in Class B or lower and graduating from Class A, it is no wonder that most people would be willing to enlist with Nagumo. “I can’t seem to figure out whether it’s the school administration or the student president who’s running the exam...” Nanase questioned. “You aren’t wrong, Nanase. Nagumo has complete control over his whole year. He doesn’t follow the rules; he makes and dictates them. The person who can create such a situation like this is really not someone to be underestimated. When you look at the history of the school, it isn’t an exaggeration to say that he is the first person, and the last person, who is capable of something like this. Of course, we 2nd years are not at the mercy of Nagumo, and he doesn’t get to control us as he pleases. On the fifth day of the special exam, I made a proposal to Ryūen and Sakayanagi. All 2nd year students would work together during a part of the exam and would work together to complete a specific project. Simply put, it was similar to Nagumo’s strategy. But it’s not like Nagumo’s plan where only a specific group can get points. Because there is competition between the second years, if there is disagreement about the score, there is no unification. Therefore, the cooperation is based on conditions other than the score. Sakayanagi and Ryūen had a group of various students that made them feel uncomfortable. Both parties reached an agreement through negotiation in the form of mutual support. For example, although we had an adverse relationship with each other, we did not hesitate to
RoyalMTLs 36 work together whenever the stakes were the same, which is one of the things that makes 2nd year leaders so good. I think if it had been our first year, this plan might not have been possible. This is a plan that can be accomplished because of the experience of fighting together for one and a half years. “I get it. So, you mean that, for you senpai, exchanging 10 points for this information is not a big risk, right?” “Nor have I given up my goal of reaching the top. I’m lucky that Kōenji is still fighting. What I want are resources to support my peers at all times.” “Kōenji-senpai is really powerful, surpassing the group of Student Council President Nagumo by himself.” Nanase remarked. Kōenji is indeed very powerful. But this is slightly different from the truth. Kōenji and Nagumo’s group formed a tug-of-war, as every student who looked at the high-ranking rankings would assume. “One person was evenly matched with Nagumo’s team” or something like that. But in reality, it was nothing more than an evenly matched performance by the Nagumo team. After the end of the two days in which the rankings are confirmed, Nagumo will maintain his leisurely status of second place. Then he’ll sprint the remaining two days in which the rankings aren’t confirmed. This way, he can surpass the exhausted Kōenji who has been pushing himself for the entire exam and come out on top. This method will not expose his “fixed” team that uses the other squads to gain points. When Nagumo decides to match Kōenji’s pace, there will most likely be no chance of victory for us. “Let’s first use this information as a basis to investigate what moves Amasawa made on the sixth day.” From this statement, Nanase would understand that there is extra value in using these 10 points. “It seems that Amasawa was not in her designated area during the morning.” Normally, there was nothing special about spending the night in the same designated area as us since she followed the same path. But there was still a GPS signal two areas below us. This person seemed to be camping alone overnight as there were no overlapping signal points nearby. “This is an hour after the announcement of the designated area at 8:00 A.M.” “Our target was B6 right?” “It seems that Amasawa is going to B6 using a different route.” Considering the distance she covered within the hour; means she was moving at a very fast speed. A lot faster than the average walking speed. Or perhaps she found another more efficient route. In any case, I didn’t think before she was a girl who could move alone in the forest.
RoyalMTLs 37 Confirming with the map for the next hour, Amasawa had reached C6, to the right of the designated area. She should have now left for the event next to the designated area, with time to spare. “It’s amazing, you can see everyone’s movements clearly on this map.” It seems up until the sixth day; she had been completing the exam as seriously as the other students. I kept following her path from the 3rd screenshot to the 7th. There were no particularly strange actions, and about three more events were completed after making sure to reach the designated area. Whether she got a ranking or not could actually be found out through the tablet, but it didn’t matter. “At least, at 5:00 P.M. on the 6th day, Amasawa did not approach us, and there is no sign of anything suspicious.” I conclude. “Unfortunately, we haven’t made any progress then.” “No, it’s enough, at least in my opinion. Amasawa is facing the test with a serious attitude. She didn’t let us discover her vulnerability under the GPS signal.” In other words, the time when she launched her operation was non-exam time. Although these time slots can also be scouted using GPS, it is already nothing more than a loss of points. We later received a notice from the school that the point scoring was disabled and the suspension of today’s special exam. [Due to bad weather, the arrival bonuses on the 7th day, as well as the events, were only a quarter completed, so the arrival bonus on the last day, the arrival payment and the event rewards go to be double. The weather forecast indicates that the weather will return to normal tomorrow morning.] However, the last day lasted the same as the first day, with only ¾ of the normal time being useful. In that sense, would this be a correct way to distribute the time for recovering points? “This could be a factor for an investment.” If the score is doubled on the last day, this will be considered the day that determines the winners for most people, and therefore setbacks are likely to occur. “The decision to give the news of the doubling of the score on the last day well in advance is correct. This allows us to re-examine the actions of the students in the second half of the exam.” Since today has been a full rest day, the pace of distribution of physical force will change from tomorrow, and there are groups that will consider sprinting on the last day. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone took advantage of this slow time slot and increased their pace from day 8. But, for me, neither the bad weather nor the notice of double pay on the last day was the way I wanted it to unfold. I suddenly noticed that Nanase, who had become silent, seemed confused while staring wide-eyed at the tablet. I’m not sure if it’s her regular daze, but her eyes keep opening and closing.
RoyalMTLs 38 “Although it’s still daylight, wouldn’t it be better to sleep a little?” I suggest. “After forcing up that mountain during the morning, and fighting with me, Nanase’s strength should be exhausted. She had already exceeded her limit two or three times. The feeling of fatigue must have hit her already.” “Oh, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” She panicked and tried to straighten her posture, but drowsiness is not something that could be chased away so easily. Not to mention the fact she was covered in sores. “In that case... I’ll go back to my tent to sleep.” You are the only one who knows the best state of your own body. Continuing to doze off here would only be an inconvenience. “Good idea.” Because of the rain, I don’t think I can move freely. In that case, I should just lie down and rest. I say that, but the tent wasn’t exactly a comfortable and quiet sanctuary. Easier said than done to properly rest in a place like this. Nanase, who was about to leave, turned around and came towards me. “When it stops raining, I will go after Amasawa, since I know she is a White Room student. I am concerned about her movements.” In fact, even though she had been following me all this time, I never noticed it. Since they were in the same group, Amasawa couldn’t be that harsh on Nanase. “It is a fact that Amasawa, as a student of the White Room, was able to pass all the tests at that age without any problem. In short, she is threatening. Don’t underestimate her based on factors like her gender, or her age.” I utter a word of caution. “I don’t know the details, but she’s an extremely strong opponent, isn’t she?” She could surpass Sudō and Ryūen in pure combat power alone. Even if she can’t match them with her arm strength, her skills are unmatched by others. Nanase can’t win no matter how hard she tries. “Hōsen-kun is in your group. Can’t he be of any use?” I point out to Nanase. “He is also, if measured by pure combat power, not an opponent that I can keep in check and balance.” Nanase nodded in agreement, but it’s not just arm strength that’s dangerous. Rather, Hōsen was not an opponent who acted solely on strength. “I think it’s highly unlikely that Hōsen is a White Room student, but the whole Amasawa thing made me lose my certainty about it. Anyway, my business comes second. You have to protect yourself first.” After our previous confrontation, forcing me to drop out of school might not be his main goal anymore. That idea has become entirely possible. “I’m not afraid of dropping out of school. I’ll do anything to protect
RoyalMTLs 39 Ayanokōji-senpai,” Nanase said with a look of pure determination. I tried to give her advice, but Nanase wouldn’t accept my words so easily. “Then let me put it differently, Nanase you might put me in a dangerous situation by acting without thinking, I want you to avoid risky actions as a favor to me.” I told Nanase that I wasn’t worried about her but about myself in the future. Saying that Nanase’s brave expression became as soft as a puppy. “That... I can’t have that. I won’t give you any more trouble Ayanokōjisenpai.” “It’s good that you think so, in any case, you have to act carefully now, understand?” “Of course. I’ll listen to you.” Saying this, I hoped Nanase wouldn’t do anything unfavourable. It probably didn’t occur to her that she had already done something quite troublesome. After Nanase went back to her tent, my eyes fell once again toward the screen of the tablet. I wanted to confirm the scores for the higher-ranking groups as well as the lower-ranking groups. Then based on the score, I will begin to organize the current situation.
RoyalMTLs 40 【List of top ten groups】 1. Kōenji – 168 pts. (2nd year) 2. Nagumo – 166 pts. (3rd year) [Group] 3. Kiriyama – 150 pts. (3rd years) [Group] 4. Misoe – 133 pts. (3rd years) [Group] 5. Ochiai – 133 pts. (3rd years) [Group] 6. Ryūen – 128 pts. (2ns year) [Group] 7. Sakayanagi – 127 pts. (2nd year) [Group] 8. Takahashi – 115 pts. (1 year) [Group] 9. Kanzaki – 104 pts. (2nd year) [Group] 10. Kuronaga – 101 pts. (3rd years) [Group] Then I was in 49th place with 78 points. There is a 90-point gap between me and the first place Kōenji. Although it seemed like there was no way to reverse the score difference between us if I get first place in placement points and bonus points... since there were four per day, I would be extremely close if I get first place nine times in a row. Of course, this was only possible if there was no conflict with my opponents. If Kōenji doesn’t slow down and continues to score at the current pace, his final score would be around 350 points. If I wanted to achieve that, I would have to earn about 40 points a day. If it were the other groups, they would surely think “no way” and give up. But even Kōenji, who was different from the rest, should slow down in the second half. “Tenth place has 101 points? Huh?” When the uninhabited islands examination rules were explained, I would have expected that the overall group points should have been higher at this tipping point. Scores for the top ten groups, including my current score of 78, which ranks 49th, gave the impression of stagnation during the initial-mid period of the exam. It reached its peak on days two and three, and as fatigue began to make an appearance, the number of lost points, penalties and non-participants in the tests increased as they focused on reaching their designated areas. However, as the groups began to merge, the total number of groups decreased. This should not be forgotten either. It will take a significant improvement in my score in the second half of the exam to get to the top. And now, the 10th place score became even more critical. It was a good choice to not push myself in the first half and conserve my strength silently. My strategy would have started to work on the eighth day, which is tomorrow, but since exams were suspended on the seventh day today due to heavy
RoyalMTLs 41 rain, it gives the students who were starting to show their fatigue a day to rest. I can expect the eighth and ninth days to be another boom in point earning. This is a special exam where you can’t seem to win if you go alone. But in this exam, the rules of basic movement and event distributions seem to have contradictions. If you aim to get to the designated area the fastest, you risk missing the event, and if you aim to get to the event, you have a high chance of missing the placement bonus. This is the same for both individuals and groups. Whether it is the arrival order reward, waiting for the last person in the group to set foot in the designated area, or that you must score first to score any points, the ways to score points vary. I don’t know if the rain will stop, but I’ll be using a new strategy for the second half of the exam starting tomorrow. I’m a little worried about Nanase and the other girls who I haven’t heard from in a while...
RoyalMTLs 42 Chapter 2: Just Keep Going and Keep Quiet THE HEAVY RAIN that lasted until dawn cast an uneasy gloom over the students’ minds. But by 6 a.m., the clouds and rain disappeared as if in mockery, and it was as clear and sunny as the day before. That said, it took me some time to get back to the muddy trail because I was still in the forest where I couldn’t see the direct sunlight. “I need to solve my food problem soon...” As a high school student, I have no longer been able to maintain my daily caloric intake, and I’m slowly starting to run out of energy. It’s the first time I’ve been hungry in a long time because I’ve never trained in intentional starvation. It is possible to be active even without minimal hydration, but it isn’t something I want to do. It would leave me with a low immune system, and all sorts of illnesses would ensue. Of course, I could have chosen to eat wild animals or insects to fill my stomach, but that’s just an ultimate resort. You can also buy resources at the start location if you have any leftover points, but that can only be considered an emergency measure. In other words, there are only two ways to get a diet: getting a good score in an event or using points to buy it at the start location. However, the competition for events where food is a reward will naturally become more competitive in the future. “I’m ready to go.” Nanase, who had packed up, came towards me with her backpack on her back. “Amasawa is basically just moving towards her designated area, right?” “From the number of points she acquired, it seems so. In that case, if I’m not bothering you, can you let me walk along to the next designated place?” Nanase asks me with a kind tone. I silently nod my head in agreement. Since we’re heading towards the same place, there isn’t any reason to part ways here. Not long into the walk, Nanase opens her mouth. “Amasawa followed us in the morning of the seventh day after the sixth night, right? Wouldn’t you assume that she found us on the morning of the seventh day by scanning?” Since there is no way to see the usage history of the GPS scans, there is no evidence that Amasawa used one. If we could know the score of their group, we could determine if Amasawa or Hōsen used a scan. Since their group was neither
RoyalMTLs 43 in the top ten nor the bottom ten, the only person left who could confirm the point situation was Nanase, who was in the same group. “Of course I checked the tablet. But... from what I remember, we didn’t lose a single point that we had accumulated as of the morning of the seventh.” This means Amasawa did not use the GPS search. “Although we don’t know where Amasawa-san was on the morning of the seventh day, we were moving pretty fast, so it would have been hard to catch up without being near us, right?” “Since it’s Amasawa, it might not have taken that much effort.” Unlike Nanase and I, who were carrying a load, Amasawa was lightly loaded. Even if there was a certain distance, she should have been able to catch up. “Or perhaps, she learned of our whereabouts somehow.” “Does that mean Amasawa asked someone about Ayanokōji-senpai’s location?” “Possibly.” No matter what method she used, it’s hard to get conclusive proof at this stage.
RoyalMTLs 44 1 “Senpai, I guess this is where we say goodbye...” After moving from the D3 area to the E3 area and gaining a few points each, Nanase told me with a look of sadness. “How are you planning to rendezvous with Amasawa and Hōsen?” GPS scanning is a very convenient way to find the enemy, but it’s hard to say whether it’s suitable for meeting up with teammates. Radio transceivers that you can use to talk with them directly may be more appropriate. “I don’t think I can find them if I move blindly, but I can’t use the points that I collected for a selfish action. For the moment, I will track the GPS location using only the points I just obtained. Then I’ll have to take my chances by going to the next designated area.” This would be the least time-consuming way to do it. Any further search to look for Amasawa and Hōsen will be saved when for she has time. Since it makes no sense to ask about Amasawa’s position here, I’ll keep listening to her. “If I want to find out the whereabouts of the first-year students, I need to be a first year. If I find any disturbing movement, I’ll rush back to Ayanokōji-senpai to report it.” Nanase is very enthusiastic, but it is quite dangerous to be alone in a situation like hers. “Don’t force yourself.” Nanase bowed her head and left with her tablet in her hand. I wished she could join me again soon, but it depends on where the other two are. It would be easy if they were to just wander into the designated area. Still, since they’re two separate parties thinking and acting on their own, they will most definitely have different trajectories. After watching Nanase’s back disappear into the forest, I took out my tablet. At this point, I was finally one person again, and the second half of the game could begin. “It seems there aren’t any events in the vicinity...” Although there was an event only 400 meters away from here, 20 minutes had passed since it started, and 35 minutes would have had passed in total, including the 15 minutes it would take me to arrive. And there were only five groups that could participate, which wasn’t that much. The situation is difficult, so I decided to be realistic and chose to take a break so I could avoid over-exerting myself. I’ll wait here for the announcement of the next designated area and regain my strength by resting. By nine o’clock, it was time to move. I took out my tablet and looked to see where the designated area
RoyalMTLs 45 was located. Depending on how far it is, I may have to alter my strategy to get there. Today, the random zone was the second designated area. It was E6, which isn’t too far. I immediately start to move while checking the current tablet to identify the event and set a direction. The key to getting as many points as possible is “efficiency.” To achieve maximum efficiency, you need to eliminate the elements that will influence “luck.”